Cascavel: A Wings of Fire Story
by jadewolf334
Summary: Cascavel is just a guard in the SkyWing kingdom, trying to get through life and preferably not be killed by Queen Scarlet. The all-powerful queen is much too close for comfort, with Cascavel being one of her personal guards. She's fine with being a nobody. But when a firescales dragonet is born, the queen becomes too powerful, and Cascavel's life is falling apart, that isn't easy.
1. Prologue

**-Prologue-**

 _Set nine years before the events of Wings of Fire: Moon Rising and onward_

The wind brushed the stone walls lightly, tracing them and causing stone dust to lift and float away. Cascavel watched the particles with interest, following their paths with her eyes.

She stood outside of a stone tower, though not a very tall one at that. Wildflowers clung to the soil around the base of the building, as if afraid of wandering too far. Cascavel shifted her wings and looked up.

The mountains around her soared and stretched for miles and miles, their brilliant height countered only by the clouds. The tallest peaks disappeared into a foggy, swirling mist of white that showed the limits of the earth: the edge of the sky.

But not all were limited to its borders. Cascavel tilted her head, shifted her wings again, and bunched her limbs beneath her. She loped forward, then accelerated her speed. A cliff was coming up, but she was prepared. At the last moment, Cascavel leaped and snapped her wings open, beating them powerfully. The wind gusted beneath her and the stubby plants on the mountain clung to the ground in her wake. She smiled, then beat her wings as hard as she could until she was well off the ground. Stretching her body and twisting through the air, she flew high above the mountains.

She was a SkyWing, and it was typical for them to love flying. It was part of who they were. Some may have thought that the love of flying was a boring love to have; after all, every member of their tribe felt the same. And yet, for Cascavel, that was part of what _she_ loved about it. Sometimes it felt like the only truly SkyWing part of her.

* * *

Author's Note: **Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this. I am aware that this is one of the shortest prologues ever (probably in existence!). However, it is just an introduction, and is kind of setting up the story. The first chapter takes place two years later, and I'll reveal what significance this prologue has. :) So please bear with me! The first chapter will be much longer. Thank you again for reading!**


	2. The Queen's Thrilling Demonstration

**Chapter One: The Queen's Thrilling Demonstration**

 _Two Years Later_

Cascavel woke with a start, her eyes blinking open rapidly. She looked around herself wearily and took in her quarters; a guard's quarters. She sighed, then stood up and shook out her wings. General Merlot was strutting around, yelling loudly so that the other guards would wake up as well. They all sat up and stood to attention, positioning their wings and tails.

"Everyone up! Today is going to be… interesting," General Merlot said, her voice tapering off. Then she growled and continued. "The queen has a special event planned for today. Not all of you will be attending, but as always, we'll need guards posted." She scanned her dark burgundy eyes over the soldiers, assessing them. General Merlot was a stout dragon with scales the color of her namesake, and several layers of woven metal on both forearms. She had a face that made her look like she was always angry, which was just about true. Tapping her front talons on the stone floor, General Merlot's eyes landed on Cascavel.

 _What does she want now?_ Cascavel thought with a bolt of panic.

"Grouse, Sangria, and Cascavel. It's your shift, and you've all been cooperative. Get breakfast, then meet me outside of Her Majesty's throne room. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cascavel and her fellow guards said. General Merlot began handing out orders for the rest of the soldiers, and Cascavel stepped through the crowd to the doorway of the barracks, where she started descending the steps to the mess hall.

Panic and worry made her stomach churn. Queen Scarlet's demonstrations almost always meant death, and never in its simplest form. Scarlet was a dragon that liked blood, torture, and anything gory. She also liked when there was a… mess.

Cascavel hated going to those meetings, and absolutely loathed guarding the queen. She was terrifying, of course, but she also had the power to destroy Cascavel's whole life with one order. That, or she could _end_ her life.

The mess hall was quieter than usual, seeing as how early it was. Cascavel was hardly a late sleeper, but today she figured General Merlot had wanted everyone awake early. Otherwise, Cascavel's instincts would have woken her; she'd trained herself to wake up early for duty, but not _this_ early.

The stone resonated loudly beneath her talons, and she kept her eyes to the ground in case anyone was looking at her. Cascavel reached a thin sad-looking dragon who passed her one half of a cow. Cascavel eyed it for a moment before thanking the dragon and making her way to a corner of the room. There were low stone tables throughout the room, and slitted windows brought small rays of light into the room. Cascavel settled down and ate her meal in quite a short amount of time. Afterwards, she looked at the leftover bones at her table and wished she had the _other_ half of the cow.

Once finished, she drank her fill of water from a nearby trough and stretched her muscles. Then it was to the throne room.

The queen's part of the palace was lavish and covered in gold. Cascavel flew past the many levels, dodging dragons and looking around for General Merlot. She landed on the level below the throne room and walked slowly up the stairs. She was extremely relieved to find Sangria waiting, her body in a strict guard stance.

"Oh, hello," she said pleasantly. Cascavel had to look her up and down to register that she was the dragon who had spoken. Her body was muscular with dark red scales, and she had several earrings adorning her slightly torn ears. Her whole being seemed to radiate… well, _not_ cheerfulness. Yet that was what she was full of, apparently.

"Hello…" Cascavel said softly.

"Excited for this new 'thrilling' demonstration?" Sangria asked, unfazed by Cascavel's hesitation. She chuckled and threw a glance to the throne room doors.

"Frankly… no," Cascavel answered, feeling a little more at ease. "I know I'm a guard, but dragons being disemboweled, torn apart, that sort of thing; not for me."

Sangria really laughed this time, showing her gleaming teeth. "Well, I understand. But I hear this is different, somehow. Anyway, I hope General Merlot shows up soon, because I can't wait for lunch." At a questioning glance from Cascavel, she added, "That breakfast could barely be called a snack!"

Cascavel smiled, secretly very much agreeing. She couldn't wait for her hunting party to go out, as she would be in more control of how much she ate.

Grouse arrived a few moments later, and the conversation died down. They all waited anxiously for General Merlot to come, and Cascavel knew she at least would feel less anxious in the presence of the authoritative dragon.

Merlot's wings, though not unusually sized for a SkyWing, seemed huge as she landed before them with a thud. The general hastily made sure her appearance was decent, then folded her wings and walked into the throne room.

Cascavel glanced at Grouse and Sangria, making sure that she was supposed to follow the general. They both nodded, and the trio of guards made their way into the throne room of Queen Scarlet.

The queen was perched upon her throne elegantly, her long, gleaming claws curled around the arm of the chair. The gems that were set between her scales caught the light and sparkled brilliantly. The deep orange plates of her body were polished and glowed radiantly. She lifted her yellow eyes slowly to study the dragons approaching. She was, no doubt, the picture of malicious royalty.

Cascavel and her fellow guards all bowed deeply, their wings spread and their talons folded neatly. When General Merlot stood, the others followed.

"Your Majesty," Merlot said.

"General Merlot," Queen Scarlet drawled. "Well, you're just in time. Position those guards and we will begin."

The general nodded and gestured for Cascavel to take the queen's right side, Sangria her left, and Grouse… well, Grouse was just there, as was General Merlot.

The other dragons in the throne room were obviously high-ranking, with elegant jewelry that was quite visible in the afternoon sun. Some of them paid no notice to the guards, while some looked pointedly down their snouts. Cascavel was suddenly very self-conscious, and shuffled her talons awkwardly. Another reason, she remembered, that she disliked the queen's events.

Most noticeably of all dragons, aside from the queen, was Burn, Queen Scarlet's ally. While many guards fought in the war, Cascavel was lucky to be assigned to the palace. The huge SandWing's face was an obvious sign of boredom, but she didn't move from her position or even adjust her wings. Burn stood stock still, only occasionally moving her gaze to the SkyWing queen.

Finally the last dragon arrived: a dark red female that Cascavel had never seen before. She knew the queen's sons, of course, and had seen some of her daughters - before they'd either been killed or had disappeared - but this dragon was new.

"Ah, Ruby."

Any and all noise evaporated.

"At last. Court, many of you don't know my daughter Ruby because she's been away in training, and even when she is here, she mostly sits in her cave like a sleepy bat," the queen began. The dark red dragon - Ruby - looked around the room and eventually locked her gaze on her mother.

"If you ever _have_ seen her, she's probably had her nose in a scroll. But despite the fact that she's nothing like me, she is still somehow my daughter."

All the dragons present clapped, and Cascavel applauded somewhat, although as minimally as possible.

The queen spoke some more, directing Ruby to the front and center of the crowd of gathered dragons. There was a fearful, yet determined, expression on Ruby's face. As soon as Queen Scarlet looked at her, though, it was gone.

"Finally," Queen Scarlet said with an eyeroll after Ruby was settled. Burn grumbled, "Get on with it," from her spot next to the queen.

As soon as Queen Scarlet mentioned the prophecy, Cascavel froze. While she was not directly involved in the War of SandWing Succession, it had shaped and gripped Pyrrhia in its deadly jaws. She was among the dragons who wanted the war to end. But she knew that with Queen Scarlet and Burn in control, that would never happen.

The orange dragon went on to explain that a SkyWing egg had been stolen last night, which made everyone gasp. But it was all okay, obviously, because Burn had killed the thief and smashed the egg.

But they wouldn't stop there.

As the eggs were brought in to the throne room, Cascavel's heart began to fall. This could not be good. And she was proven right when a small dragonet, about a year old, with coppery bright scales, emerged from a pile of rocks. When she turned to face the audience, everyone could see her eerie blue eyes.

 _No. By the three moons, please don't tell me that's what I think it is. Please don't tell me this is what my queen is doing. Please, please, please,_ Cascavel thought desperately.

Smoke rose from the dragonet's scales, twisting and twirling in the air. Dragons whispered all throughout the room.

An old dragon stepped forward, confronting the queen.

"Your Majesty, please assure us that this is not what it looks like."

That dragon was wrong.

Cascavel could barely register anything that happened, up until the moment that the eggs were given to the dragonet. Sangria was given one of the eggs, which she passed to Scarlet. And that was when the "thrilling demonstration" began.

The egg turned utterly black in the dragonet's talons, and then slowly crumbled to ash. All dragons assembled fell silent, their eyes fixed on the dragonet.

"Impressive," Burn growled. "Now deal with the rest of them, or let me smash them myself."

And so the small, fiery dragonet went to each egg and burnt it until it was no more. Cascavel felt shivers of horror tingling throughout her body.

As the last egg was crushed, Queen Scarlet spoke again.

"Excellent. A thrilling demonstration. Everything I was hoping for. As you say, Queen Burn, so much for that prophecy now, right? Peril, back to your place."

Cascavel knew what Queen Scarlet was doing. From the look on her face, this was aimed especially toward Ruby. But beyond that, it was a display of power. It meant that she was not stopping this war, and she was not stopping her bloodshed. She would be as cruel and ruthless as ever, and no one would be able to stop her. Cascavel's fear of the SkyWing queen had only grown.

When they were all dismissed, Cascavel flew to the barracks with panic setting in, and sat beside a window. She thought about that satisfied, perfectly villainous look on Queen Scarlet's face. She had probably never even noticed Cascavel, and yet… her face. It had an expression so clear that no one could have misread it.

 _I am in power._

 _It will stay that way._

 _Look at me, SkyWings, and know. Know that I am your queen._

 _Now and forever._

 **Just so you know, parts of Queen Scarlet's speech are from** Wings of Fire: Escaping Peril. **I've tried to change the dialogue and break it up a bit so it's different, but I wanted it to be the same scene from the story. I hope this hasn't been a spoiler... But if you _have_ read that scene from the book, I hope this has been different and interesting nonetheless. :D**

 **LemonDrops334** : Thanks! That's interesting... maybe you'll decide to write it sometime!

 **ImpossibleNightmare** : Wow, that means a lot! Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you want to keep reading. Your support means a lot! :)


	3. Sangria's Many Shades

**Chapter Two: Sangria's Many Shades**

Cascavel jumped out of the way, attempting to dodge the dragoness's talons and roll under her belly. As Cascavel came out of her successful roll, she leapt upward and slammed her opponent with her tail. While it was no "avalanche summoner," like what the SeaWings could do, she had made sure her tail was as heavy as possible. Sure enough, the other dragon buckled under its weight. Jumping forward, Cascavel beat her wings in the dragon's face and paused.

"You can stop now," Sangria grunted, climbing out from under Cascavel's wings.

"That would be when I'd burn your face off," Cascavel said helpfully, making sure Sangria knew what her next move would have been. The other dragon grunted again, without words this time, and began rearranging her dishevelled wings and earrings.

"You shouldn't wear earrings in a fight," Cascavel pointed out. "Unless you want even more tattered ears."

Sangria looked up and growled.

"And I don't think you're supposed to-"

"THAT'S IT!" Sangria bellowed. "DO YOU WANT TO KEEP FIGHTING?"

"Okay, okay," Cascavel laughed. "I'll stop now."

"Better," Sangria said agreeably. "A big improvement on your part."

The two had been training, and had been partnered together. Cascavel found that she rather liked Sangria's company, and her ever-shifting moods. Cascavel was a somewhat friendly dragon, but her personality was more of the shyness-outweighs-any-social-skills type. She had almost no friends as a guard, and while it wasn't really necessary for the job… it would be nice to have someone.

The two flew back to the guards' section of the palace. They awaited orders from another general, or perhaps just a high-ranking soldier.

Cascavel led the way to a group of dragons fighting. She and Sangria had been training in a small training arena off of the palace, in the mountains, but there were training arenas in many places.

A dragon was watching the training, his eyes going from concerned to satisfied to annoyed. He occasionally called out orders, such as, "Roll! Move to the left! Grab her tail!" and so on and so forth.

"Major Oxblood," Sangria said, dipping her head slightly. Cascavel jumped in surprise, being startled out of her thoughts, and dipped her head as well.

The major was definitely active in the war, with a bandage over one wing and many scars on his body. He was a thin dragon, not too noticeable in a crowd, but his eyes were very suspicious and he regarded other dragons with an air of hostility.

At first, Cascavel was drawn away from him, but upon reflection, she realized that his hostile demeanor must have been derived from the war. Only two weeks ago a SkyWing spy, one of the few non-SeaWings or SandWings working for Blister, had revealed himself and killed five soldiers and servants. The event had caused an uproar, and while Cascavel herself was not too worried about such happenings, she had found herself on edge about more suspicious dragons; Major Oxblood was most likely the same way.

"Yes, that would be me," Major Oxblood said. "And what are you here for?"  
"We've just finished training in one of the training arenas. General Merlot said that we were to ask another official about our other duties," Cascavel piped up.

"Oh. Well. Let's see," Oxblood said unenthusiastically. "There's always sky patrols. You could make sure no enemy fleets are hiding about. I would suggest the Diamond Spray Delta. The SeaWings have been becoming a smidgen too audacious for us."

Sangria nodded, but Cascavel froze.

"The Diamond Spray _Delta,_ sir? Not river?" she asked timidly.

Major Oxblood raised an eyebrow.

"If I'm correct, the two words sound nothing alike. Unless, perhaps, you mix up all five-letter words," the dragon said dryly.

"No problem, sir. We're on it," Sangria said before Cascavel could have a flare of temper. The two flew away, with Cascavel occasionally looking over her shoulder at the haughty major, and occasionally snorting a puff of flame in his direction.

* * *

"So, wanna tell me what that was all about?" Sangria asked once the delta was in sight. The water sparkled cheerily, nothing like the churning feeling in Cascavel's guts.

"Oh, nothing, just a hoighty-toighty major and his annoyingly expressive eyebrows," Cascavel muttered under her breath.

"Come on, let it go! If you were worried about the flight, you're one of the best flyers I know." Cascavel snorted at this. "And it's not that far anyway."

"Yes, it is, and I have my reasons," the reddish-orange dragon snapped. "Maybe you can't read maps, or don't know distances very well."

"For the moons' sake, you're a FREAKING SKYWING! STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT FLYING!" Sangria yelled irritably. Cascavel turned her head away so her friend couldn't see her face. The shock, firstly, and the dread, secondly, that were clearly shown in her eyes.

"I would never complain about flying," she whispered. "I'm complaining about going somewhere I thought I'd gotten away from, and seeing dragons I'd rather not see."

Sangria was silent for the rest of the flight.

They touched down soon after, mud squelching beneath their talons. Cascavel trotted over to a stream branching away and drank her fill. She was just admiring the water's interesting ripples when she was shoved headfirst into the stream.

"GET OFF OF ME!" she shrieked without knowing what she was doing. Cascavel burst from the water and flew in spirals to get most of the water off. She roared fire around herself and only hesitantly, a few minutes later, touched down on the other bank.

Sangria smiled pleasantly.

"So now will you tell me?"

Cascavel glowered at her.

"You could have just asked," she growled. "I hope you know not to try that again. I hate water."

"Precisely the reaction I was hoping for. Now fess up," Sangria persisted. Cascavel sighed.

"One year ago was the first time I'd ever gotten away from my parents. They are - were? - very… strict. Protective, I guess. So while I didn't exactly want to be a guard, it was the best way to ensure that I always had a job, and could be far enough away. It's not that I hate them. It's just… a lot of things." She paused and thought for a moment. "Also, they wanted me to come visit them anytime I was nearby. I know I don't have to, but I'm a pushover," Cascavel confessed. "I think I'm just going to pass on this opportunity, though. I- that's all."

Sangria nodded.

"I've had a few friends who were so desperate to get away that they took any job. Well, it's your decision. I'm not throwing you in the river over this; _you_ decide."

Cascavel hardened her expression.

"I already have."

* * *

That night was a restless one for Cascavel. Her body refused to settle down, and she knew what was causing this. When she asked to go for a walk, she told the guard that she'd eaten a rotten cow and needed some fresh air. It was a bad lie, but apparently that happened often enough to be believable. As soon as she stepped outside, the moon washed over her scales and bathed her in its light. Cascavel knew as soon as she saw the soaring mountains, and the dazzling night sky.

She really _was_ a pushover.

Which meant that, no matter what she'd said, or what she'd promised herself, she had somewhere to go. Some dragons to visit.

And a relationship to patch up.

 **What do you guys think about Cascavel and her parents? And how do you think this meeting will go? I'd love to hear from you! Also, thank you SO much for the reviews. In the first two hours of this story being up, someone had already reviewed! Thank you! :) Something else I wanted to mention... If you have any questions, I can answer them in the chapter afterward.**


	4. Gaillardia

**Chapter Three: Gaillardia**

Cascavel hesitated when she saw the Diamond Spray Delta ahead. The water looked black, and she could only tell it was there by peering closely and watching for ripples on the delta. Little blobs of light - the reflections of stars, no doubt - shimmered in an endless dark. Cascavel shivered and resisted the urge to hug herself with her wings.

Instead, she tucked her wings in and dove toward the ground. Her landing was messy, and she tried to convince herself it was the wind, not her own nerves.

The wind swirled around her wings, blowing them to and fro. Cascavel pinned them to her sides and started uncertainly forward.

She walked the rest of the way to the cave, through the dark forest and around the delta. At the base of a small mountain, she saw it. The familiar flicker of firelight, glowing dimly through a crack in the rock. The orange light, though subdued, danced merrily and threw shadows on the desolate mountain bottom.

Cascavel climbed over the boulders and rocky ground until she came to a halt in front of the entrance. She breathed shallowly and let a puff of smoke exit her nostrils as they flared in anxiety. Finally readying herself, she lifted a talon and knocked on a piece of wood nailed to the rock, next to the entrance. Because it was built for a loud sound, even Cascavel's shaky knocks rang clearly through the night air. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and then waited.

"Hello? You do realize it's the middle of the-"

The voice trailed off.

"Hello," Cascavel returned curtly. "Is this the home of Gaillardia and her husband?"

The voice hesitated.

"Yes. And no," it said, but within moments a young dragon was skittering out of the dark. It was a maid, thin and a light orange color, but admittedly pretty. She had one sparkling earring that seemed to be made of a gemstone. Cascavel had known many maids in her lifetime, but her mother always seemed to find a reason to replace them. This must have been a new one. She looked more vibrant than the others, and her earring looked expensive; something about that bothered Cascavel a bit, so she decided not to think about it. She figured it was the fact that a maid was allowed this beautiful jewelry, while Cascavel had never gotten a single object of jewelry throughout her entire life.

"This way," she said. Cascavel wondered why she didn't bother asking about a strange guard dragon that showed up mysteriously in the middle of the night.

Cascavel ducked beneath the cave mouth and then looked about in utter astonishment. Torches lined the walls, their orange dance of fire lighting up the whole room. This was… new. But her parents were somewhat erratic, so she thought nothing of it. Although she did wonder why she hadn't been able to see this much light from outside. The entrance _had_ seemed smaller than usual. Maybe someone had pushed a few boulders in front of the cave to discourage visitors. _Odd…_

The small dragon led Cascavel through a few tunnels, until they emerged before a huge doorway. The pale dragon gestured for Cascavel to go forward.

"Thank you," she whispered, and walked in.

She knew this cave. It was her mother's room, a place of happiness and contentment, tears and scars, foul words and mulling over ideas - such as escape. It was a place where a small dragonet in an orange-red egg was hatched, with wings that longed for the sky and eyes that wished to see the world.

Above all, it was a place where a dragoness resided, the queen of her own not-so-humble abode.

"Mother…?" Cascavel asked hesitantly.

Gaillardia was settled next to a window in the cave, in a dragon-sized, hollowed-out shallow. She didn't turn her head for a few moments. And when she did, her brilliant, orange-tinged yellow eyes shimmered in the light. Only a few torches were placed in this room, a great contrast to the main cave.

"You are excused," Gaillardia said. Cascavel snorted a plume of flame indignantly, angry that her mother wasn't even giving her _one chance -_ and then she realized that she was speaking to the maid, who promptly retreated.

"She's an interesting one," her mother remarked. She turned and gazed outside once more. The night gazed back, giving a dark fading feature to the outline of her scales.

"Mother."

"Yes, Cassie," the dragon hissed softly. She stood up suddenly and began making her way to the entrance of the room. Cascavel couldn't tell if she was angry or not; her face remained expressionless.

"I thought I asked you not to call me that," Cascavel said moments before Gaillardia reached her. The words stopped her in her tracks.

" _Cascavel_ , then."

"Thank you, Mother," Cascavel said. Gaillardia shifted her wings and tilted her head.

"Why are you here?" she asked softly.

"You always said my loyalty would be the death of me," Cascavel began. Well… that wasn't entirely true. Gaillardia had a harsher way of saying some things.

"And I suppose it will be. I passed by here yesterday. I couldn't visit but… my conscience insisted. So here I am."

"Here you are."

A long pause came and filled the air. The older dragon studied her daughter.

"You look older," she said.

"I should hope so," Cascavel snorted. "A year has passed! Actually, a year and a half." She trailed off at the last words.

Gaillardia smiled, ignoring her hesitation. But the slight release of tension didn't last, because in that moment, Cascavel realized something.

"Where's father?" she growled. It wasn't meant to come out that way - but the innocent look on her mother's face made her suspicious. If there was one thing Gaillardia had taught her, and had taught her _well_ , it was never to trust someone who looked too innocent. It was a shame that Gaillardia was such a hypocrite.

"He is… um-"

" _I asked, where is he?"_ Cascavel demanded, so much smoke coming from her mouth and nostrils that she could barely see. Each word brought forth a little burst of flame.

"Gone. I- I'm sorry," her mother said. "He left four moons after you did. He…" Her face changed for a split second, but Cascavel wasn't quick enough to catch the emotion that flickered across it.

"We had a disagreement. And so… he left. Also for job purposes!" she nearly squealed upon seeing Cascavel's thunderous glare.

"No. Not we. It was _you._ It's always you. Don't think you could fool me. 'We.' It wasn't him, it was all YOU! YOU always ruin EVERYTHING! _YOU_ MADE HIM LEAVE!" Cascavel roared suddenly. "And NOTHING I EVER do will BRING HIM BACK!"

Gaillardia snarled dangerously.

"That's no way to talk to your mother, now is it?" The dragoness glanced at the window she had been sitting by. Cascavel felt an almost unbearable urge to run to the window and throw herself into the night sky. There, she could fly. There, she could escape.

It only took one heartbeat to realize the truth of that. After only moments at her parents' - now singular, she remembered - home, she already felt the desire to leave. Her dragonethood reminded her, however, that there was a reason for that, and her small amount of guilt vanished.

"Maybe not," Cascavel growled. "But don't you tell me you're my mother. No mother would do what you've done. If you were truly my mother, then-"

"What?" Gaillardia said slowly. "Then what would you do, my little dragonet?"

Cascavel roared in frustration.

"I came here to check up on you! I came here to visit you! I guess it only took that much to remember why I left!" Beating her wings furiously, Cascavel rushed out of the large stone doorway, only to run into the maid. _Typical shady, nosy, annoying maid, listening to my conversations,_ she thought. Another flash of her life before one year ago.

"Calm down," the pale dragon said, and gently put her wing over Cascavel. "I'll show you out." Fuming, Cascavel let herself be led only because she wanted to leave as fast as possible. She glanced at the maid and another blaze of rage overtook her, adding to a bonfire of anger and pure fury. Her mother hadn't been able to afford much while raising a dragonet, but having a servant, or maid, or however you chose to look at it, was always necessary. Cascavel had always thought that perhaps it made Gaillardia feel as if she was a queen, to have a faithful dragon at her beck and call. _But she isn't the queen of anything, not now, not ever! I won't let her be the queen of me!_

At the cave door, Cascavel turned and looked at the maid. Her gemstone earring glittered in the light.

"Thank you again," Cascavel forced herself to say. Then she added, "I've never met you before. Who are you?" The dragon winced.

"I'm just another maid," she replied rather reluctantly. "But I've heard of you before. And not from your mother." She regarded Cascavel's puzzled expression coolly. Actually, she wasn't too surprised. Perhaps this dragon had been around when her father was still here. Before he… left.

"You're thinking about your father," she remarked. The oddness of that sentence didn't quite reach Cascavel. She was too engrossed in what the dragon was about to say. "Which leads me to what I was just about to say; I've heard about you through your father, yes. But more so through Rosewood."

Without another word, the dragon retreated inside. Cascavel watched her, wondering why she'd said something kind to an eavesdropping dragon. Shrugging, she turned and flew off, her heart sinking lower with each flap of her wings.

She'd failed.

Her mother hated her more than ever. Her father was gone. And she had accomplished absolutely nothing.

Would her life always be this bleak?

* * *

Dawn was breaking by the time she reached the palace. A guard looked at her confusedly, but she bared her teeth at him and he backed off. Cascavel thought gladly that she was not on the pre-dawn scheduled for today, so she'd get to sleep in a little longer. Not much longer, but she'd get _some_ rest at least.

It wasn't until Cascavel was curled up in the barracks, almost fully asleep, when it occurred to her. Something she'd completely forgot about... something she'd discarded from her thoughts:

Who in the world was Rosewood?

 **Hey readers! This chapter was kind of hastily thrown together, so I apologize if it was boring. I was mostly setting up some things we'll learn about later... Also: I'm planning on updating on weekends, with the exception of random updates like this. I would expect the next chapter each weekend. :)**

 **ImpossibleNightmare** : Thank you so much! I'm glad that you like Cascavel, and are interested in the story. It means a lot to me that you're reading this! :)

 _I've got a question for you guys! Who do you think Rosewood is? Any guesses are appreciated!_


	5. Memories

**Chapter Four: Memories**

"Cascavel!"

The SkyWing guard whipped her head around and perked her ears, watching intently for whoever has shouted her name. Within two heartbeats, she had realized she knew the voice. And so, with a resigned sigh, Cascavel turned around.

"Hey, Sangria," she grumped. "Remember how this is my shift?" Sangria shuffled her dark wings and cracked a smile.

"And do _you_ remember that it's Queen Scarlet's hatching day?"

Cascavel blinked as slowly, sarcastically, and flatly as she could; which was a lot of emotion to put into a simple action such as blinking.

"Wow, really?" she deadpanned. "The queen's been talking about it for weeks, but you know, it's obviously not today." Sangria snorted, then put on a serious face.

"Cascavel, you are the best comedian I've ever had the fortune to meet. What a shame that you're a guard - otherwise, moons help me, you'd be popping some poor dragon's lungs with that sense of humor," Sangria attempted to keep a straight face, but broke at the end of her sentence and burst out laughing.

"Of course you know it's her hatching day! You know it, I know it, we all know it… But what's most important is what that means! A _party!_ So fun!" Sangria clapped her talons in anticipation and rubbed an earring that was slightly crooked. Cascavel shook her head and leaned in to whisper in Sangria's ear.

"But you do know there'll be death, right? And…" Cascavel closed her eyes for a moment and suppressed a shudder. "Her new toy," was all she could manage. Cascavel opened her eyes, and could've sworn that Sangria's scales blanched a shade lighter.

"Well…"

"Sangria! There's already enough death! Why in the world were you excited anyway?!" Cascavel snapped, frustration bubbling up under her scales. She was afraid; much more so than she'd ever admit to anyone, even herself. She was terrified of Queen Scarlet, and she was horrified with the new plaything she had at her talons. She was afraid of too much blood on the arena sands, and most of all, she was frightened that Sangria _had_ remembered. What if she was _excited_ for the bloodshed? What if her only real friend was actually a second Scarlet, but in disguise? What if-

"Hey, uh, Cascavel?" Sangria asked tentatively, her somewhat rough voice back. "You okay?" The dark scales of her body glinted in the shadows as she leaned toward Cascavel.

She flapped her wings agitatedly, trying to hastily cover her emotions.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "Just… um… blood and such… not my thing," she added hurriedly. Sangria nodded, shuffling her feet awkwardly.

"I'll go now. I hope Scarlet's - I mean, Her Majesty's hatching day isn't too bloody. That would be… well. Anyway, see you!" Sangria said, then turned and flapped away, zooming across the sky towards her post, wherever it was. Cascavel felt a twitch of guilt about her suspicions concerning Sangria. She was her only friend; what right had she to waste that relationship with useless paranoia and dark thoughts?

Returning to her post and shuffling her spear between her talons, Cascavel prepared herself for that night. She raised her eyes to the sky and wished it was there for her now, as it had always been. But when she'd given up her family, she'd given up her only escape. The palace was no place to fly into the clouds and lose yourself there; she had duties, and when she'd become a guard, that had been decided. Shaking off her parents' talons had meant shaking off the loving embrace of her only solace.

* * *

 _Cascavel soared through the clouds, feeling the wind caress her wings. She sighed in contentment and twirled happily. Her heart settled into a rhythm of gentle pulsing. She spun and twisted into a dive, reveling in the refreshing feel of the wind roaring around her as she sped down, down, down…_

 _And then it was over. Before she knew it, she had returned to her tower. The abandoned stone watchtower climbed slowly upwards before her, sitting stoutly upon a rocky overhang and clinging tightly to the mountain. Cascavel jumped up and hooked her claws into the gaps between the stone, slowly making her way to a window on the second level. As she squeezed herself into the room, Cascavel thought about the place she was entering._

 _Shaking out her wings and dusting herself off, the SkyWing dragonet looked about herself in wonder. There it was, as it had always been; her place._

 _The tower walls were lined with shelves, exactly as they had always been. Scrolls lined the stone, with many small artifacts and swords in between them. When she had found this place, it had only just been abandoned, and she'd immediately taken a liking to it. The musty scent of old scrolls calmed her. She suspected part of the reason this place had been left alone was because it hadn't really been an outpost - it had become a home for someone, and a library. The whole tower was full of signs of a life lived there, and sometimes the place echoed of nostalgia and loneliness. But not for Cascavel. For her, it was home._

 _Cascavel trotted over to a shelf and randomly picked a scroll, her scales buzzing with excitement. She unravelled the paper slowly, anticipation dancing on her tongue. When the scroll had been unveiled, she gazed at it in wonder. Her eyes traced the lines and intricate movements of the ink upon the surface, loopy and sharp, light and dark. She longed to discover the story it held._

 _But there was just one problem: she couldn't read._

Un-SkyWing trait number one _, Cascavel thought with a pang of sadness. She carefully put the scroll away and walked over to the window she had come in through, resting her talons on the cold stone ledge._

 _Far away, she thought she could see the palace. The palace of Queen Scarlet. The most beautiful, powerful, dazzling dragon in all of Pyrrhia!_

 _If only._

 _That was what she'd been taught, but she had yet to learn how wrong she was._

 _Cascavel was a lonely dragonet. She knew it, and she knew it well, but never before had she realized just what that meant. She tapped the stone with her front talon, listening to the small clicking sound it made._

 _Her parents wanted her all to themselves, away from other dragons. But she didn't want them. They made all the wrong decisions and never thought of her first. They said they did everything for her, but they were wrong. So instead of a real education, Cascavel got to learn what the world was like according to her mother. Instead of learning to read and write, she was taught fighting skills by her father. Instead of learning what the world outside was like, she learned what_ her _world was like._

 _And she wanted so desperately, and with all of her heart, to get away that she didn't even think about the fact that… she wasn't ready._

 _Cascavel played with a carved dragon figure the rest of that day. She named him Ice, though he looked nothing like an IceWing, for the interest she held for the other dragon tribes. As the sun began its descent in the sky, she put him back on a shelf. But just as she was ready to leave, he called to her. The world was so bleak and lonely. And no one would notice if he was gone… So Cascavel scooped up Ice in her talons and flew with him all the way to her home at the bottom of the mountain._

" _Cascavel?"_

 _The SkyWing dragonet froze at the entrance to the cave, her scales feeling like they were locked in place._

" _Yes, Father?"_

" _Where were you all day?" Father growled. His eyes narrowed and his large teeth shone white and pure as he bared them._

" _I-I was exploring… on the mountain…" Cascavel whispered fearfully. Her father was good to her sometimes, but like her mother, he was unpredictable. It must have been why they chose each other._

" _Ah. And what is that you're holding?"_

 _Cascavel looked down at Ice, who she was clutching tightly. She knew her father would disapprove of her having a 'toy,' but she desperately wanted to share her discovery with someone._

" _This is Ice! He's an IceWing. I found him today," she piped up cheerily. Her father only laughed._

" _What a creative name," he growled. "Now why do you care about IceWings? They are an enemy tribe." Before Cascavel could even open her mouth, Father ripped the carved dragon from her talons. He gave her one warning glance, and then he blew a burst of flame at the figure. Ice did not live up to his namesake; instead he burnt to a crisp._

" _...Father…" Cascavel whimpered, only to look up from the embers and see that her father was gone. He'd left just as soon as he'd set Ice on fire. It didn't matter to him._

 _Cascavel looked up at the darkening sky with a heavy heart. As she trudged into the cave, she felt something inside of her harden. She wouldn't let this happen again. She wouldn't be mistaken for a little helpless dragonet. She'd be a true SkyWing, and she'd make sure everyone knew it._

* * *

"Cascavel, come on!" General Merlot barked. The dragon had sidled up to Cascavel while she reminisced, and now began poking her wing.

"Yes? What?" Cascavel replied a little too quickly, showing that she had been daydreaming. General Merlot frowned, but kept to the point.

"It's Her Majesty's hatching day. All guards are either on duty or at the party." The general glanced toward Queen Scarlet's arena for a moment, as if wondering if it would be used that night. While the sun was still high in the sky, preparations needed to be made.

"Come on," General Merlot growled again. "It's going to be an eventful night."

 **That was a severely last-minute chapter, so I apologize for that. But I've been really busy, so I wrote the whole thing this night... and I was a bit rushed. :) I'll write more about Rosewood, as well as Cascavel's family, later on, so don't worry if you're curious. This was mostly a way for me to expand on the prologue and show Cascavel's dragonet-hood more in depth. ALSO: more will be written about her parents later. They may not be as one-sided as they seem...**

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! I'm glad that you're enjoying what I've written. :)

 **ImpossibleNight(mare):** Aww, thank you for all your kind words. Yes, something _is_ off with her. Guess you'll have to wait to see what that is... True. I want to add more to the story so that Cascavel's relationship with her parents is brought to light, and you'll see that it wasn't always the way it is now. Good guesses! But I don't think there's any way you could know... *hehehe* Wow, it is so nice to know that you want me to keep writing! Well, here's your update! I'll try to keep writing more. :)

 **Shout-out to ImpossibleNightmare for adding** ** _Cascavel: A Wings of Fire Story_** **to a community! It means so much to me. :D See you next chapter! Don't forget to leave feedback!**


	6. Scarlet's Hatching Day

**Chapter Five: Scarlet's Hatching Day**

The palace buzzed with activity, and the overall vibe of the day was excitement. Cascavel only wished she could feel the same.

Queen Scarlet's party was that night, and the sun was close to setting. While the SkyWing queen had been celebrating all day - hence the overly active arena - her grand celebration was not until sundown. Cascavel found that she did _not_ like the anticipation one bit… and there was quite a lot of that.

General Merlot ushered Cascavel and many of her fellow guards into a large stone room that served as an indoor training area. It was small, and Cascavel certainly did not like the limitation it had on her flying-and-fighting skills, but it was useful. At the present moment, no dragons were fighting. General Merlot cleared her throat and tilted her wings back, and all the guards present fell silent.

"It is my duty to assign you all different positions today," Merlot began. "As you all know - well, I hope you do, or else you're as good as dead-" she added in an undertone, "- it is the queen's hatching day today. We are mere hours away from Queen Burn's arrival and the larger festivities of the evening. Many of you will be guarding the queen, some her prisoners, and naturally, the palace _must_ be watched. In the midst of a war, a known day of such… _happiness_ … would be the perfect time to attack. So! Let us begin."

Cascavel blinked slowly. General Merlot spoke very fast, and she had said a great deal. Once Cascavel had processed all of this information (she wasn't at her sharpest that day) she made her way over to Merlot. Regardless of hatching day activities, she knew that today her shift was to guard the prison towers. While she'd be much closer to the horrific arena fights - "They'll be so gory and messy and _thrilling!"_ Queen Scarlet had proclaimed - at least she could be away from the crowded palace halls and the commanding voice of her queen.

"General Merlot, excuse me," Cascavel said politely. "I am to be guarding the prison towers today, as instructed. May I leave to attend my position? The shift in guards should start in a few moments."

General Merlot paused mid-bellowing of orders to look at Cascavel. Letting out a long breath, she grunted and snorted a burst of flame that narrowly missed Cascavel's nose. The heat from the fire made her pull her face away, and she just barely avoided yelping in surprise.

"Is that so?" When Cascavel nodded, Merlot snorted another burst of flame. "Well, there are other _more useful -_ mind you - positions that I could have given you, but so be it. Scurry off now," Merlot sneered. She whipped her head around and continued roaring. Several dragons looked as if they wanted to cover their ears, and one thin dragon's eye twitched noticeably before he excused himself and darted frantically away from Merlot's ear-drum-shattering bellows. Cascavel struggled not to laugh at the comical scene before turning and launching herself off into the sky.

Cascavel allowed herself one flip in the air as she made her way to the arena. Something like happiness was dangerously close to overwhelming her before she saw the foreboding spires of the SkyWing palace closer than ever, and heard the roars of the arena activity.

 _Right. I'm a guard. And it's the queen's hatching day,_ Cascavel reminded herself.

She swooped down toward the ground outside of the arena and almost immediately a high-ranking soldier came over to her.

"Are you guarding the prison towers?" he asked. Cascavel nodded, and the other dragon chuckled grimly. "Not much to guard, I'm afraid."

Cascavel looked up and gasped. She hadn't noticed on the way there, but almost all of the prison towers were empty. The few dragons that remained paced unhappily or watched the fights below worriedly. Several others lay curled up, tails over their snouts.

Cascavel had never approved of the prison towers, but she'd accepted them as part of life as a SkyWing. Seeing _this_ made her stomach churn. She turned and smiled weakly at the dragon next to her.

"I'm sorry I had to be the one to bring that to your attention," he said. The dragon's dark orange scales glinted in the light, and Cascavel had to focus on his face in order not to stare at him. There were scars running all over his scales; but not what she would expect. Cascavel held back a gasp at the violent wounds all along his side.

"That's… that's okay," she whispered. "Are you?"

The other dragon smiled gravely. Cascavel snapped her mouth closed and wished she hadn't said that.

"Thank you. I'm fine now. Bad fight with a particularly nasty SeaWing," he explained after a moment. Cascavel nodded, gathering that he was a soldier in the war. She saw wounded dragons all the time, but this dragon's wounds had been… unique. She thought sadly of how much the war had affected Pyrrhia.

"Are you a guard for the towers as well?" Cascavel asked politely. The guard shook his head, explaining that he was in charge of assigning orders. The dragoness smiled at him before leaving to fly slowly around the perimeter of the arena.

It was worse than she'd thought. Queen Scarlet could very well be doing a "clean-out," meaning that she'd put _all_ of the prisoners into the fighting. Perhaps not all of them would die, but it was highly probable that the prison towers would be all but empty by the end of the night.

Later on, Cascavel was allowed to take a break from her duties. She had to stay close, though, so she chose to watch the arena fights. While she didn't enjoy the blood, the arena was close to the towers and she was required to at least watch some of it. The fights were actually pretty lively, with the dragons fueled on by the extra audience due to the occasion of the queen's hatching day. Cascavel wasn't at all disturbed by the fight, although she felt a pang of sadness at the knowledge that Queen Scarlet was forcing this upon them. Still, no one had died yet in the fight that she was watching, which was good. A few moments later, that had changed.

And then Scarlet unfolded herself from her perch upon the ledge above the arena, stretching her brilliant wings as the sun began to set.

"SkyWings, in honor of my hatching day, I'll be showing you something absolutely _thrilling!_ We've had entertaining _and_ boring arena fights all day, but this will be a guaranteed success! After that, my party will begin." Dragons _ooo-ed_ and _ahh-ed_ from the audience. "But now, without further ado, I present: my champion! Only a few of you have met her, but I'm _sure_ everyone will just _adore_ her after this. It'll be thrilling! Go on, Peril!"

Cascavel froze. The dragon sitting next to her quirked a brow, clearly wondering what had made her so tense. But Cascavel didn't have enough time to say anything, because right then, Peril emerged.

Many dragons laughed, others complained, as they saw the small dragonet being pushed out from the entrance of the palace. She stumbled around confusedly, and then looked up at Scarlet for support. The SkyWing queen growled and gestured forward with her head. Peril seemed to understand, and suddenly dashed forward.

The SandWing that had just come into the arena tilted her head in an intrigued way, as if wondering what a small dragonet was doing in the fighting arena, before backing away a bit as Peril rushed at her. And then suddenly the dragonet flung her small wings around the SandWing's head, and howls of pain emerged.

 _Poor SandWing._

Dragons everywhere roared and screamed in fright when Peril backed away. Some flew high into the sky and looked down from a safe distance. The SandWing's screams had abruptly stopped, and when the dragonet lifted her wings, there was hardly a face left. The SandWing was blackened and charred, which caused Cascavel to turn away and vomit behind the arena stands.

 _A monster. That's what she's made. A monster,_ was all Cascavel could think. When she returned to her seat, she saw Queen Scarlet beaming and posing regally. The little dragonet was led back inside with much care and was held at a safe distance by the guards. All of the dragons present, SkyWing and others, looked to the queen.

"I said it would be thrilling," were her only words before she turned and swept herself dramatically into the palace. Dragons began flying to the palace entrances and Cascavel knew Scarlet's party was starting.

Cascavel made her way blearily back to the guards' quarters. General Merlot was nowhere to be seen, but Cascavel ran into Sangria on the way there.

"I'll take your position by the towers," she said curtly and without another word. Cascavel nodded and continued to the barracks, trying to ignore Sangria's cold shoulder. It didn't have to matter. No one had said they were friends. So why would it make any difference if they fell apart? Whatever had happened, Cascavel forced herself to move on. She had other things to worry about.

She was hoping for a quiet night, alone or close to it, in her dormitory with a torch and a scroll. She didn't like when many other dragons were around when she tried to read. She kept her scrolls hidden away so no one would see that they were beginner scrolls, the easiest there were. Still, she looked forward to getting through her current scroll and maybe enjoying the story - if she could understand it.

But just then, something happened. General Merlot walked almost right into Cascavel, blinking in surprise as she backed away. A strange look came over her face and she shifted her wings ever so slightly.

"I'm on my way to the main party," she said, although that was obvious to Cascavel. "What's your name again?"

"Cascavel," she answered, kindly restraining from informing Merlot that this was not 'again,' as she had never asked for Cascavel's name before. She either yelled it from a list or referred to her as, "Hey, you!"

"Oh!" Merlot growled. "You _are_ the one I was supposed to get. There's someone going to the queen's party that asked for a Cascavel," she explained, whilst pronouncing Cascavel's name wrong. "Some dragon from out of the palace. She said you'd know her name." Cascavel frowned. _Who?_

"D'you happen to know a 'Rosewood?' She requested to see you… as soon as possible."

 **Hello, readers! I am so,** ** _so_** **sorry for the long wait. I've been very busy, but also happen to be a slow writer, and I was working on other writing projects as well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Not too much happened, but it's setting up the next chapter... which I'll start on tonight! If you're looking for updates on this story,** go to my profile and look under where it says "Story Updates." **I'm trying to write updates there whenever I can, so if you're wondering how to know what's up, look there. :)**

 **Remain unnamed:** Thank you! :) That means a lot. I hope you keep reading and continue to enjoy the story!

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! That is so nice. I really can't believe that. :D You're awesome!

 **ImpossibleNightmare:** Thanks! That's a really awesome compliment. I know... her parents are pretty cruel. Oh, great! I want to elaborate on her parents and their lives later on, so I hope you'll be interested in that. Yes, Sangria _was_ being kind of weird... *chuckles evilly* What could this mean? *innocent face* I have no idea... Haha, you're right! The dreaded day has come! I honestly wonder if any dragons actually enjoy Scarlet's hatching day. Yup, you'll learn soon! And no problem! I love your story so much 3 (Make that stories!) THANK YOU SO MUCH! And you don't need to go away. :D Your reviews are the nicest things ever! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Oh, and...** Note: _Sangria and Merlot's names come from the_ _ **colors**_ _sangria and merlot. They are not named after types of drinks or anything like that! Just in case any readers were looking at this story like, "What in the world? I didn't even know dragons drank wine..." Well, they don't. I don't think so. Maybe. Okay, I'll stop rambling now! XD_


	7. Rosewood

**Chapter Six: Rosewood**

Cascavel's heart started to push frantically at her rib cage, as if trying to escape. She swallowed and nodded, hoping against hope that this wouldn't be as bad as she was imagining it to be. Merlot grunted and continued her walk while Cascavel stared at her receding figure. _Rosewood._

Maybe she was just… someone.

Or maybe not.

Cascavel spread her wings reluctantly and flew towards the queen's party. Dragons laughed loudly in the midst of large crowds, and flickering flames rose toward the sky. Firepits were placed all around, as Queen Scarlet's party was partially outside as well as in the palace. A few dragons flew above the festivities, their scales flashing brilliant oranges, reds, and golds in the firelight. Cascavel loved the way it all looked, but then again, it was Scarlet's party. There would be blood and vileness beneath the pretty exterior, like everything was when it came to her.

Cascavel felt hugely out of place next to all of the royal dragons flooding the palace. They were all so regal and imposing, and she was so… not. There was no other way to say it. Cascavel didn't own even one piece of jewelry.

She peeked around the other dragons, trying to find a face she recognized. When that failed, she stopped in front of a noble-looking red SkyWing. He paid no attention to her until she coughed politely. He carried out the rest of the conversation he was having, and only then turned slowly to her.

"Yes, what is it?" the red dragon asked, looking pointedly at Cascavel down his snout.

"Excuse me, sir, but would you happen to know a dragon by the name of Rosewood? She sent for me," Cascavel said as bravely as she could, even though she felt like a beetle beneath a dragon's lowering talon.

"Yes, I do know her. But why in all of Pyrrhia would she want to speak to _you?"_ He wrinkled his snout. Cascavel shuffled her talons awkwardly and finally admitted the truth.

"I don't know, sir. Could you tell me what she looks like, and where I can find her, or- or both?" The other dragon looked away, as if he had better things to do, before turning and looking at her once more.

"She's a very pretty dragon, pale orangey color. Lots of jewelry. I'd say she might be chatting with some other nobles… perhaps even Her Majesty." _Of course,_ Cascavel thought wryly. _Because I'm already not close enough to Queen Scarlet._

"Thank you, sir. It is very appreciated."

"Oh, is it now?" the dragon muttered before strutting away. Cascavel fought down a wave of fury. All she'd been was nice and polite, and this was what she got! Cascavel forced herself against following the dragon and giving him a piece of her mind; such as informing him of where he would be without the guards and soldiers that protected his palace. One of those options included _dead._

Cascavel shook her head and made herself step through the throng of dragons toward the queen's throne room. Maybe Rosewood would be there.

As she passed by, Cascavel noticed a fresh-caught hawk sitting on an unattended table. She was suddenly famished, but as soon as she made a move to take the prey, a royal rushed over and made an unnecessary show of grabbing the hawk and eating it, all while standing in front of Cascavel. This in no way improved her move, but she pushed on. _Trust the nobles to make a dragon feel worthless,_ she couldn't help thinking.

When she entered the throne room, Cascavel tried to blend into the background. There were fewer dragons here, and those present were obviously noble and probably related to the queen. Queen Scarlet herself was speaking animatedly with several other attentively listening SkyWings. While she wasn't on her throne, she remained close to it, like a wolf protecting its prey from the crows.

And then Cascavel saw her. It had to be her. She was a gorgeous dragoness, with pale yellow-orange scales and a fragile-looking build. Her wings were delicate, and each time she ruffled them dragons would absentmindedly watch them. Gems were set between the scales of her wings and crest, and golden snake earrings dangled from her ears. She had a happy, relaxed look on her face, but Cascavel noticed that every time another dragons spoke, she would scan the room as if she was looking for someone. _Is she looking for me?_ Cascavel wondered dubiously.

Taking a deep, very shaky breath, Cascavel made her way to the group of dragons. She stepped past the last dragon, and there she was. Barely half a dragon-length from Rosewood.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but are you Rosewood?" she asked with as much courage as she could muster.

Rosewood - at this point Cascavel had no doubt that it was her - turned with a glorious flourish of her wings. The dragons around her gasped as she elegantly rearranged her wings, and as the light of a nearby torch illuminated her scales and made them shine. Out of the corner of her eye, Cascavel could see a dour look manifest itself on Queen Scarlet's face. She clearly did not like the attention Rosewood was getting.

"Yes, I am. And you are?"

"Cascavel, ma'am," she whispered. Rosewood's eyes widened, and she blinked after a moment, as if in shock.

"Pardon me, dears, I need to speak with this dragon," Rosewood said charmingly. Just like that, Cascavel was swept to the side of the room.

"Cascavel. Wow. I can't believe I'm finally meeting you!" Rosewood whispered. "Tanager has mentioned you so many times!"

Cascavel's heart stopped. She couldn't breathe.

Tanager. That was her father's name.

"How-how… how do you know m-my father?" she asked weakly. Rosewood quirked her eyebrow curiously, until a look of understanding washed over her face.

"She didn't tell you. Of course not. That little…" Rosewood muttered, highly insulting whomever she was talking about. Cascavel was surprised to hear such vulgar language come out of a royal dragon's mouth.

"Anyway," Rosewood said, after the long stream of curses. "I suppose she didn't tell you. Just like her."

"Excuse me, but who are you talking about?" Cascavel questioned, frustration evident in her voice.

"Your mother, Gaillardia, of course," Rosewood growled. "She somehow forgot to mention to you-" the dragoness paused, one talon fiddling with her beautifully intricate earring, "-that your father didn't just _leave._ He remarried. Which makes me your step-mother, Cascavel." Rosewood smiled.

"It's nice to meet you at last."

 **So... that took a long time to write! To be honest, I only started it today. :) I'm sorry that it's kind of short, but hopefully this chapter (and the cliffhanger!) made up for the length, and the wait. I'm hoping more action will come soon, so stay tuned! I'll try to post the next chapter next weekend... Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this!**

 **ImpossibleNightmare:** Oh, thank you! It makes me so happy that this story makes you so happy. :) Well, much has yet to be answered, but hopefully you're somewhat satisfied with this chapter. You know who Rosewood is, at least. Yes, we will... :( I know, there was a lot of gore and death in the previous chapter, but it's nice to know that I got such a reaction from you. :D Yay! That's good to hear. I'm hoping to write more about them in the next chapter, maybe... No problem! Aww, that's so nice! You're welcome, and thanks for all of the support!

 **Rainstorm of ShadowClan:** Thanks, and I'm glad that you are interested. :)

 **Pancake Unicorn:** What an awesome review! I'm so glad that you like Cascavel and the story! Thank you SO MUCH! You're super awesome. :D


	8. A Fortunate Mistake

**Chapter Seven: A Fortunate Mistake**

 _What?_

That was Cascavel's first thought as she stared at the regal figure before her.

"You… this…" Cascavel whispered, her mouth opening of its own accord. She could feel her wings trembling and forced them to stay still.

"I'm sorry, dear, and I know it's a lot to take in. But please, do compose yourself! You're in Her Majesty's throne room!" Rosewood hissed. Cascavel nodded, and after a moment, Rosewood ushered her into the hallway.

"What happened?" Cascavel whispered, not sure she really wanted to hear the answer, but asking anyway. Rosewood ran a talon over her face, and then reached back to stroke her crest.

"Tanager had had enough of Gaillardia. We met while he was buying something from a nearby town. Of course, he had no idea of my status, but it was better that way. Dragons do tend to hide themselves when they're around royalty…" she remarked, furrowing her brows. _Ha,_ Cascavel thought wryly. _What else_ can _you_ _do?_

"Eventually, we decided to become mates, but uh… well… that's hard to do when another dragoness is involved. Somehow, though, Tanager managed to convince Gaillardia that their relationship was over - if you could even call it that," Rosewood muttered. "But I would've thought that you'd know this." Something bubbled inside of Cascavel at those words, red hot and fierce. She felt like there was lava beneath her scales, and she suddenly wanted to let all of it out. She wanted to not even bother to control her rage; so she didn't.

"Barely one year," Cascavel growled, low and threatening. Rosewood nodded slowly. Silence engulfed the hallway. The tension rose to a breaking point, and the orange-red SkyWing decided to snap it.

"BARELY ONE YEAR!" Cascavel roared, flaring open her wings and letting out a plume of flame. Rosewood staggered away, an expression resembling fear etched onto her face. Cascavel remained where she was, her sides heaving and her talons gripping the floor as if it was her only anchor to sanity.

"Calm down, please," Rosewood begged quietly, gesturing towards the throne room. Cascavel narrowed her eyes and nodded the tiniest bit. She wanted to roar again, but another emotion crushed her out of the blue, and she couldn't muster the strength to make that fearsome noise again.

"I'm their only dragonet. And yet no one sent even one letter to me," she mumbled, her wings drooping heavily. "Despite our differences, I still sent _them_ a letter or two. But… this…"

Rosewood approached the young SkyWing timidly, unfolding a wing and placing it on Cascavel's shoulder.

"I know, dear. There's a lot of things that Tanager could have done, but he _has_ been very busy. I am afraid that I don't know what to say about your mother."

Cascavel wanted to apologize for almost blasting Rosewood's ears out, but she suddenly didn't have it in her. She just smiled weakly and asked softly if she could retire to the barracks. Rosewood insisted on coming with her, which Cascavel had to admit was rather nice. They went to any guards' quarters, because Cascavel was too shaken to bother returning to her own dorm, which was farther away. Although the trip there was short, Cascavel had to admit that she had been very comforted by her new stepmother. Already she was starting to like Rosewood, but she didn't know how long it would last. She'd thought that about many dragons, and oftentimes had ended up being wrong.

* * *

A dragon was calling her.

Cascavel opened her eyes with difficulty, pushing away the firm hold that sleep had on her.

"Cascavel," someone growled again.

A dark red face was bent over her own; a face with furrowed brows, short, curly horns, and very battered ears that held several earrings.

"Sangria," Cascavel muttered, folding her wing over her face. She didn't want to wake up, because it meant training, and being a guard, and more awkwardness with Sangria, and more awfulness with Queen Scarlet. Yes, she would rather keep sleeping.

"No, get up!" Sangria hissed. She shoved Cascavel's wing aside none too gently. The female SkyWing sat up and bared her teeth, fully awake at this point.

"Cascavel! Listen to me!"

She looked around and noticed how dark it was. It was still night…

"What is it, Sangria?"

"There's been-" Sangria began, but the events of the earlier day finally caught up with Cascavel, and her mood worsened. She remembered how Sangria had suddenly left her, and growled.

"Wait a minute. So now, when something important happens, _now_ you want to talk to me? Wake me up in the middle of the night? But not during break, or when we're training? What is _with_ you, Sangria?" Cascavel said angrily. The other dragon snorted an indignant puff of smoke.

"I had my reasons, you know! But I'm sorry, Cascavel. Now _PLEASE_ listen to what I'm saying!" She took a deep breath.

"There's been a murder. Not an attack, you understand; a _murder._ The queen wants it to be hushed up, but it can't be! You see, it was only a soldier. But this is serious, Cascavel," Sangria whispered, bringing her face close to Cascavel's.

"The victim had fire burns everywhere. Fire that could only be caused by firescales!"

Cascavel's eyes widened, but she didn't quite understand what the big issue was. Why did she need to get involved?

"But where do I come in?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side. All of her previous rage had vanished.

"Well," Sangria said slowly. "They got a soldier in your usual barrack. I don't know why you decided to come here, but it saved your life. But all the signs point to something very obvious..."

The words weren't sinking in, until Sangria looked away, fiddled with her little hoop earrings, and blew a burst of flame into the air. She returned her gaze to Cascavel, and said, in a very solemn tone,

"I have no idea why, but Cascavel… the murderer was trying to get _you."_

 **Dun dun DUN! Hey readers! I am SOOOOOO sorry for the huge wait (and this chapter didn't even make up for it! It was so short!). I've been very busy, but I've also been working on my other original stories, aaaaand... it just took me a really long time to get to this. I hope this chapter wasn't absolutely awful! I tried showing Cascavel's not-so-nice side, and then I tried building up the suspense, but hmm. I don't know if it worked. THANK YOU ALL for sticking with this story! You're so awesome! ONE OTHER THING (before I answer reviews): PLEASE check my profile for updates! That is my only way of communicating with you guys outside of author's notes in chapters. I try to keep my updates very, well, updated! So please look there if you're wondering when the next chapter is coming. :)**

 **ImpossibleNight:** Thank you! Well, there wasn't much on Rosewood, so I can understand if you thought she was that age. :) I know! I mostly included that to emphasize her position as a guard, and then I exaggerated a bit on the royals so Rosewood's difference in status would be more evident. Thanks again! *nervous chuckle*...well THAT didn't happen for a long time... but here you go! Also, thanks for the follow and favorite! That really means a lot. 3

 **Pancake Unicorn:** Aww, that's nice. THANK YOU! That is such high praise! And I really am sorry for the slow updates, but hopefully this was a pretty good chapter...

 **Anyway, there you have it! Also: stay tuned for what may be a surprise... (if I can write it soon...)**


	9. Not Just Any Killer

**Chapter Eight: Not Just Any Killer**

Cascavel's talons started to tremble, and she felt dread begin to seep throughout her whole body.

 _No._

There was no room for any other thoughts. How could there be? Somehow, this was happening, and this was happening to _her,_ and she knew it was all real - _too_ real - but _no_ was all she could think.

 _No, no, no._

Her whole life in the SkyWing palace was dedicated to one thing:

Fading into the background.

Being a nobody.

Living as a shadow, a dragon that your eyes would skip over in a crowd.

So how was it that, when everything she had ever done had been devoted to this one idea, what was going on now was directed at her?

 _Someone wants me dead._

Why?

Wasn't she just a guard?

There was nothing special about Cascavel. Nothing at all.

"Cascavel?" Sangria whispered. The urgency of the situation was pushed aside as the dragoness knelt down and looked in Cascavel's eyes.

She took deep, shuddering breaths, but it didn't help. She blinked back the moisture that crept into her eyes, but it didn't help. She hadn't really known that dragons could cry until then. Cascavel lifted her wings, wanting to fold them over her face, but she couldn't make herself.

"I know this is a lot to take in, Cascavel, but may I ask… what is so wrong?" The husky SkyWing's voice was soft and almost gentle.

"I don't think you understand, Sangria," she whispered. "I don't want to be noticed. I'm nobody; nothing. And I thought I was a decent dragon, too. But someone wants me d-de-d-dea… dead."

"Yeah, well, that _is_ pretty hard to believe. I mean, you do kinda-" Sangria cleared her throat embarrassedly. "-well, you know. You're not the most noticeable dragon…"

"I just said that I _wanted_ to fade into the background, Sangria. I'm not offended," Cascavel remarked, sighing. She brought her talons to her face and wiped away any tears that clung to her scales. She shuffled her wings and flexed her talons, making sure her claws were sharp. New resolve had started to come to her.

She wasn't going to let this past her.

"Well, let's go find this murderer, figure out what they want from me, and-" Cascavel began. Sangria smirked.

"-beat 'em senseless," she finished.

It wasn't the ending she'd expected, but it was along the same lines.

"Oh, we'll do more than that," Cascavel growled as she stood up, stretched out her wings, and walked to the entrance of the barracks.

"We'll beat 'em… _period._ "

* * *

The two dragons attempted to act natural while walking through the hallways, but it was quite a challenge. Cascavel found herself sinking into a pit of guilt each time she passed a dragon walking by. For some reason, she felt like she was doing something she shouldn't have been.

Sangria stopped dead in front of Cascavel's usual barracks. She was expecting to see a dead dragon, but inside, there was nothing out of the ordinary; or so she _thought,_ until she felt a sticky substance beneath her talon. Lifting it slowly, she saw a puddle of crimson blood pooled on the stone floor.

Sangria whimpered, which was so unusual for her that Cascavel looked up in confusion, forgetting the blood on her talon, and suddenly blanched.

Sangria was scanning her eyes around the room. Cascavel did too.

Blood was spattered in so many places that Cascavel couldn't count them all.

This dragon had not been killed cleanly.

Cascavel turned her head away from the blood spattered everywhere. She wiped the dark red liquid off of her palm and felt disgust swell within her.

"I didn't see… this," Sangria breathed. Cascavel shook her head with dismay.

"This isn't just a murder, Sangria," she said. "This was someone who was angry. Angry enough to take the wrong target's life just because they couldn't find the real one. Angry enough to-to… to do this."

"You're right." Sangria shook her head and rearranged her dark wings. "The body's been moved. It was a dragon named Yarrow. You know him?"

"I don't think so. But whoever he was, he didn't deserve this." The orange-red SkyWing laughed bitterly. "And I haven't even seen his body."

"Let's… let's go. We have to find out who wants you dead," Sangria growled. She narrowed her eyes at the barracks before turning and sweeping through the doorway. Cascavel followed right behind her, eager to escape that blood-stained room.

 _Well,_ she thought. _It turns out I'm more wanted than I thought. If someone did that when they_ couldn't _get to me…_

 _What would happen if they did?_

* * *

General Merlot was beyond furious.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she roared once Cascavel and Sangria arrived. She had gathered several guards and brought them together to discuss the happenings of the night. Only a few hours ago, a murder had been committed.

"I don't know, General," Cascavel admitted. The older dragon flared her wings and growled threateningly.

"You have to have done SOMETHING, otherwise there wouldn't be a DEAD DRAGON and there wouldn't be a killer bent on killing YOU!" she bellowed angrily. Cascavel tried to stand her ground, but with Merlot yelling in her face - and bursts of flame puffing out with her words, a dangerous sign - she wasn't sure that would last for long.

"General Merlot," Cascavel said calmly. "If I did anything that would provoke a murder, please let me know. But as far as I am concerned, I am guilt-free, and this was either aimed at another dragon or it is incorrect that the murderer wanted to kill me."

Merlot growled and cursed under her breath.

"Whatever," she muttered. "Just get outside, guard the party or something; just stay out of the way. We'll figure this out." Cascavel nodded reluctantly. Half of her wanted to find out who had tried to kill her, and the other half wanted to fly away and hide under a rock for all of eternity. A rock sounded so much better than facing a killer.

 _Wait._

Cascavel stiffened.

 _Not just any killer._

"General, didn't the victim have severe burns? Ma'am?" Merlot swung her head around and glared at Cascavel.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well… then isn't it obvious? Sangria said there were firescales burns." She turned to the dark red dragon for support.

"I just heard that from a few dragons. They said not to spread this around, but… The dragons who took care of the body said that there were lots of burns. They thought they were the types caused by firescales," Sangria admitted, stepping forward. Cascavel smiled gratefully at her; maybe she really _was_ her friend.

The general froze.

"What do you think that means?" she whispered gruffly. The dragons surrounding her regarded one another with interest, muttering softly and casting curious glances at Cascavel, Sangria, and Merlot.

"Well, there can only be one killer, right?" Cascavel burst out. "How is this not obvious?"

"It… is… but to believe it…" Merlot started.

"Only ONE dragon in the SkyWing Kingdom has firescales! In all of _Pyrrhia_!" Sangria growled.

"The queen's little toy," a soldier breathed. The room went quiet. Then one voice, and then another, began to whisper, and the stone walls echoed with words.

"She wouldn't have-"

"But who else could-"

"...I won't believe it!"

"I knew that filthy little-"

"-what a horrible way to die-"

"STOP!" Cascavel barked. The dragons went silent again. "Whatever has happened, I'm sure we can-"

"Figure it all out, right?" a voice purred. "I'm sure. But first, we have a little problem to fix."

Cascavel gasped, her head swivelling around to meet deadly yellow eyes.

"Is someone accusing my champion of _murder?"_

Queen Scarlet smiled and slithered into the midst of the crowd.

"I hope not, SkyWings. That would be a very big mistake…"

 **Oh no... it's never good when Queen Scarlet shows up! :P If you were a bit confused by this chapter, don't worry: all will be explained. I realized that Peril is super young in this fanfic, so just be warned if she's still in the "goo-goo ga-ga" stage. XD (No, she won't be THAT young, I just wanted to say that!) I tried to get this chapter done a few days ago, but I couldn't. So sorry for promising... but hopefully this satisfied you! :D**

 **ImpossibleNightmare:** THANK YOU! YOU ARE SO AWESOME. THANKS FOR SAYING THAT! I know, right? Who would ever want to kill her? Poor Cascavel... Sorry about that! I did try to write this a while ago, but life got in the way. :( I know it didn't satisfy many of your questions, and of course, I left you on another cliffhanger, but I'm hoping this was still entertaining to read! Thank you for your support and awesome reviews!

 **dragonwizard33:** Thank you! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story, and thanks also for that compliment. I really appreciate your favorite! 3

 **Well, that's all! I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but maybe next weekend? :S We'll see!**


	10. An Idea

**Chapter Nine: An Idea**

It was a challenge to focus on anything other than the huge, majestic, malevolent dark orange dragon standing amidst the guards. Everything about her demanded one's attention.

Cascavel did, but only because she didn't want to be the one who was looking away. She didn't want the queen of the SkyWings to think that she was being disrespectful. Truthfully, Cascavel just wanted her to leave, because then this all-consuming fear would subside, but that wasn't an option.

"Your Majesty," Merlot breathed, astonishingly keeping calm despite the queen's surprise visit. She unfolded her wings and gave Queen Scarlet a half-bow. The other guards present followed, causing Scarlet's mouth to curl upwards into a smile.

"What brings you here, Your Majesty?" Merlot asked politely. Cascavel eyed the general curiously, thinking about how different she became when she was around those superior to her.

"Just stopping by," Scarlet said dismissively, which of course meant the exact opposite. Perhaps she'd heard of the victim's burns and had immediately suspected Peril; leading her to investigate and make sure no one was thinking the same thing, as it would endanger Peril's and her own reputation. Or maybe this was something far more sinister. Maybe she'd been involved, and-

 _Stop thinking like that,_ Cascavel commanded herself. _Queen Scarlet doesn't even know you. You know that, Cascavel. Get a hold of yourself._

"Yes, yes," General Merlot said thoughtfully. Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, she added, "I apologize, my queen, if our speculations have upset you. My guards and I were merely guessing as to those that could possibly be connected to the-" She chose her next words carefully. "-passing of Yarrow. We meant no harm, and of course did not truly believe that you had anything to do with it. Or your… or Peril."

"Ah," was all Scarlet said.

"It's upset them a bit, you see, but they'll be fine. They're soldiers," Merlot said, and scanned the dragons in the room, making sure they took her hint: _Don't make a fuss of this._

"Hmm. Well, it has certainly been quite an occurrence," Scarlet sniffed. "But how dare all this disrupt my hatching day? I daresay the celebration will have to continue into tomorrow."

Cascavel suddenly remembered that it was the middle of the night, and blinked with surprise. She had forgotten that in all of the commotion.

"That could be arranged, Your Majesty," Merlot said, looking very uncomfortable. Scarlet straightened herself, looked down her snout at the general, and swept - with careful precision - out of the room. A silence followed.

"If that's what happens every time you go on spreading rumors, KEEP YOUR MOUTHS SHUT!" Merlot barked grumpily, addressing her soldiers, before following after Queen Scarlet.

Sangria cursed. Loudly.

"That 'queen' of ours knows just when to show up, doesn't she, well-"

'Sangria!" Cascavel hissed, grabbing her friend's forearm. "She's got ears everywhere! Don't speak like that!" The dark red dragon sighed and tugged on one of her earrings.

"Fine," she grumbled eventually. Cascavel gave her a weak smile and looked out of one of the slitted windows curiously. She released Sangria's arm and walked over tentatively, an idea forming in her mind.

"Sangria," she whispered. "What if…"

"What if what?" the SkyWing dragoness asked, hurrying over to Cascavel's side.

"We know that the killer really wanted to get to me. They were so frustrated when they didn't find me that they tore apart an innocent dragon. That's how I know this will work," Cascavel began excitedly. "First, I'll-"

Sangria groaned. "Bait. You want to be bait."

"Hey! I haven't finished! And this would be about the only brave thing I've ever done, you know, so shut it," Cascavel snapped.

"Continue," Sangria muttered grudgingly.

"I'll ask to be assigned to some sort of job that's independent. I'll be alone. We already know that the killer was somehow able to find my whereabouts, so this shouldn't be hard for them. You get it? They'll come for me, and I'll catch them!"

"Two things," Sangria began slowly. "One: you're not going alone, because then you'd get killed. I'm coming. Second: we already know who the killer is! It doesn't matter what Scarlet says or what Merlot forces _us_ to say. Peril did it."

"Well. I suppose you could come along, although either no one would know or you'd have to act as harmless as possible. And… yes, that's true. But Scarlet will make sure that isn't known - unless we prove it by catching her champion. We need to show both of them that they're wrong, or else no one will ever be brought to justice… or the wrong dragon will be."

"You're right," Sangria said thoughtfully. "We can do that. It'll be dangerous, but it'll mean that Yarrow would be avenged, and you would be out of danger." The dark red dragon smiled, and as she stepped closer to Cascavel, the light hit her scales, revealing beautiful magenta and dark purple undertones.

"Where do we start?"

The two stood there, formulating a plan, in the corner of the room. Once they had finished talking, Cascavel felt anxious excitement stirring within her. She also felt closer to Sangria somehow; by supporting Cascavel's plan, Sangria had proven that she _did_ care about the orange-red SkyWing. As Cascavel headed back to the barracks she'd slept in that night, exhaustion engulfed her. Dawn was just now creeping over the horizon.

Still, Cascavel curled up and let herself sleep. During that time, though, she'd forgotten a phrase that Sangria had spoken. Only the next day would she remember it, and the thought she'd had in reply.

" _...and you would be out of danger."_

But would she be?

 **Yay! Another chapter! But I sincerely apologize for its short length (I know I say that every time...). Seriously, though... (this doesn't always happen, by the way) it took me about 3 hours to write this chapter. WHAT. I just write really slowly, sorry. :S But anyway! Although I'm sure this was a boring chapter, it was fun to write. And I've just planned out a few things for the future, so I'm pretty happy about that. ALSO, I made a new cover! Yaaaayyy! It actually has words on it... Hope it's cool! I can't put it here, but you can check out the current cover. How do you guys like it? :)**

 **Celestialskyfire:** I know! :( I'm glad that you have sympathy for Cascavel. Thanks for reading!

 **ImpossibleNightmare:** Well, you still don't know that, but maybe this chapter revealed a few things. Maybe. Probably not. Yay! I'm going to explain her weirdness from before, which might make her easier to like. :) Thanks! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the previous chapter! Also, here ya go!

 **Thank you to** dragonwizard33 **for the story follow! :D It's much appreciated!**

One more thing: has anyone noticed how I sometimes write random 3's? It's because I'm trying to write a heart symbol, but it doesn't go through on this site. When I finish the book, I'll go back and edit that. Just wanted to let you know so no one thinks I'm just spewing typos all over the place!


	11. The Hawk & the Scorpion

**Chapter Ten: The Hawk & the Scorpion**

Cascavel prepared herself slowly, gathering her meager items from her new sleeping space and arranging them in the corner. She wouldn't need these things for a while.

She took out the note Sangria had written and placed it on the rock shelf that was her "home". Cascavel regarded it one more time, making sure everything was perfect. It read:

 **To General Merlot-**

 **I apologize for this inconvenience. I have had to leave due to the threat to my safety. And, evidently, others'. I recognize that this behavior is not how I have been taught, but I believe it to be the only way. Beyond these reasons, I wish to keep the queen content. If, by any chance, our speculations are true, that secret must remain hidden. Queen Scarlet and her champion cannot be betrayed.**

 **I will not be back for a long time, if ever. But I promise that this killer will bother you no longer now that I shall be gone.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Cascavel**

She nodded contentedly, then left the note sitting in its place. Thankfully, Merlot didn't know Cascavel's real writing, so this would look as realistic as ever.

Now she was free to go.

This all felt so different than what she'd expected. She'd thought she'd feel fear, but that had gone away. Anxiety resided in the back of her mind. Relief was prominent. _Why?_ Cascavel asked herself. The answer was simple enough: she _wanted_ to leave.

It _would_ be nice to get away from the chaos of SkyWing life, she had to admit.

Cascavel breathed a plume of flame, almost as a goodbye. Strange though it was, the action felt natural to her; it felt like something that had to be done before leaving her home of one and a half years.

Cascavel unfolded her wings and flung herself into the sky. The wind tugged at her body, trying to throw her off course, but she knew its ways. She knew the way it was unpredictable, and the way it was violent, and the way it was gentle, too. She knew it and she loved it.

Her orange-red scales glinted brightly in the dawn's wan rays, but hardly anyone would be awake at this hour. Of course, guards woke up extremely early, but she had arranged her departure at a time that the shifts were switching. The dragons in the palace would be too distracted to think anything of a guard leaving at the wrong time.

Cascavel narrowed her eyes and beat her huge wings slowly. She knew that when she flew like this, it was more intimidating; that was something she'd learned in training. This was a way of flying sometimes used when wings of dragons were approaching battle. Now, however, Cascavel was flying in this way because it fit the wind's pattern best.

Her flight went on for most of the day, and only when the palace was far, far behind, and the border between the Sky Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sand was nearby, did she finally stop. She was barely out of breath, but her wings were a little sore from the tedious motion she had used while flying. Stretching herself, Cascavel surveyed her surroundings with interest.

The Claws of the Clouds Mountains were ever present, but they were much farther away now. Living by the Diamond Spray Delta had meant that Cascavel wasn't always on the mountains, but she didn't think she'd ever been this far away from them until now. For some odd reason, that excited her.

Now she just had to wait. Sangria couldn't just drop everything like Cascavel had - and they didn't want anyone knowing that they were working together (for now, at least). She would trail Cascavel sometime in the next week or so. In the meantime, the young dragoness was alone.

Deciding to go hunt, Cascavel flew upward, scanning the ground below her. Her sharp eyes picked up movement to her left… maybe a rabbit or something of the sorts. Cascavel readied herself before folding her wings in and plummeting to the earth in a dive. Her outstretched talons caught the animal's skin, and whatever it was made an awful lot of noise. Slitting its throat quickly, Cascavel observed her prey. It was a strange creature, in her opinion. She'd heard of them, though, and seen a few: deer. A deer. It wasn't too common on the mountains, which was where she always hunted. Shrugging, Cascavel gripped the animal and flew back down to her spot.

After a much needed meal, the SkyWing settled herself at the base of a cluster of trees. She made sure to be on high alert before gradually drifting into a fitful sleep.

* * *

The squeals of a dying animal jolted Cascavel from her sleep.

 _What the-_ she thought, heaving herself to her feet. The noise was abruptly cut off, and Cascavel winced. The animal was dead.

She didn't know why this bothered her, but perhaps it was due to the fact that she hunted so differently. Cascavel preferred to end her prey's life as efficiently and quickly as possible, so as to reduce its pain - and noise. This dragon, if that was what had killed the animal, evidently did not think the same way.

Cascavel lifted her snout to the sky and took three deep breaths. She wasn't the best scenter, but she could definitely smell blood and the familiar scent that all dragons had. She liked to think of it as the "base" scent, because most dragons had other tribe-centered aromas that covered it up.

Cascavel let out a low, deep-throated growl, and moved forward slowly. She emerged into a clearing next to a pond where the blood scent was prominent.

She scanned the clearing to find a dragon, but didn't see one at first. Snorting a plume of flame, the SkyWing surveyed the area again. Her eyes caught on a dead warthog sticking out from behind a bush. As she watched, its leg jerked forward and disappeared behind the foliage.

 _Aha. You sly little devil._

Cascavel stalked forward, stopping in front of the bush. She folded her wings back, lifted her head high, and made herself as fierce as possible.

"May I ask who is there?"

A disgruntled yelp followed her words, and Cascavel smirked triumphantly. She had thought that whoever was hunting here shouldn't have been doing just that. Leaping around the bush, Cascavel swung her tail and hit the other dragon in the face.

"Hey!" they snarled. The voice was feminine, and after a moment of studying the dragon, Cascavel had learned all she needed to know.

The dragon's build was lean and slightly scrawny. Her wings were flared, and her tail was curled over her back aggressively. Overall, her face seemed guilty, but her body language said _angry._

One other crucial detail: she was a SandWing.

"Do I see a dragon from another tribe on SkyWing territory?" Cascavel said, gasping dramatically and stepping closer as the SandWing backed away. She had learned long ago that her intimidating self was very effective. It required, however, for her to completely cover up her actual personality.

"Oh, please," the SandWing growled disdainfully, although she was making sure to stay several tail-lengths away from Cascavel. "Don't act like SkyWings don't trespass, too. You stuck-up mountain-lovers think no one notices the mistakes you make." Cascavel snapped her wings open. They were huge enough to be quite impressive, covering a great deal of the land on her sides and blocking off the SandWing's path past her.

"Woah," the SandWing breathed, clearly taken by surprise. It was hardly the time for such words, though, and Cascavel gave her a look that said 'really?'

"Nice display, but it's not very terrifying, you know. Now, I'll just be taking this hog over to the desert, and you'll be flying back to your nice palace… wonder why you're all the way out here, anyway…" the SandWing muttered, slowly backing away. Cascavel growled.

"No," she corrected. "Yes, I'll be going back to my palace, but I'm taking _you_ there, too." Cascavel was half-hoping she wouldn't really have to do that, because then she'd have to fly all the way back out here, and Merlot would be furious, but she still had to do her duty as a guard, so-

"Oh no you don't," the SandWing snapped. Her tail moved forward to hover over one shoulder. The black tip glistened with a dark liquid. Cascavel did not want that venom anywhere near her.

But she was a SkyWing soldier.

She was loyal.

She did what she had to.

This dragon was a trespasser, had stolen rightful SkyWing prey, and was now threatening Cascavel. She almost wanted to see Queen Scarlet, if only to watch her give this annoying dragon what she deserved.

Yet… did all that really mean she had to risk her life?

A moment later, her mind was made up as the SandWing lunged forward, her teeth bared and a hissing sound erupting from her throat. Cascavel dodged, startled, as the dragoness rushed at her. She didn't really want to hurt this SandWing, because then a real fight would follow.

Fire bathed the tip of one of her wings.

Cascavel roared in pain and turned around, her mercy forgotten. She tackled the other dragon and scored her claws along her scales. Flames spilt like a volcano's fury from her throat, just as powerful and full of menace. The other dragon fought like a lithe scorpion, twirling and dancing beneath Cascavel's blows, stabbing with her tail every chance she could get, thankfully missing Cascavel. The SkyWing fought like a hawk, leaping into the sky to grab the SandWing from above. She dove again and again at her opponent, forgetting her reasoning and instead succumbing to the taunts and fury of the other dragon.

Cascavel didn't know how much time had passed when a voice roared over the two battling dragons.

"SkyWing! What are you DOING?"  
Cascavel jumped away from her opponent, panting, and turned to face whoever was speaking. She gasped when she saw them.

Glittering black eyes met hers, and in her peripheral vision she could see her opponent getting up shakily. But Cascavel couldn't tear her eyes away from this newcomer.

"Hello, SkyWing," the dragon hissed. "It looks like we have a problem here. Care to explain yourself?"

 **Hey, guys! So sorry for the really long wait. However, I'm really proud of this chapter. There's another tribe involved, and also, I'm super happy because I've recently figured out a lot of things that are going to happen in the future. Yay! Alright, now to reviews...**

 **Tawneeleaf:** Thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy it.

 **I think that was the only review... :( If I'm wrong, sorry, I get super mixed up cause there's not really an easy way for me to keep these reviews straight... Anyway, thanks for reading! Oh, right... I have a few announcements:**

 **Thanks for getting this story to 730 views, guys! So awesome! That's way more than I'd ever expect. :)**

 **PLEASE head over to my profile and read what I wrote under the updates section. I'm going to be writing more spontaneously now, so... thought you'd want to know.**

 **ALSO, does anyone think I should post this story on Wattpad? If you don't know it, it's another writing site. I have some original stories on there, but was wondering if I should give this a go there and see if anyone likes it. What are your thoughts?**

 **Sorry for that super long note... :P Stay tuned for the next update! Please also favorite and follow this story! Thank you!**


	12. Pseuda

**NOTE:** Because I've been trying to focus mainly on just writing, this chapter has not been very thoroughly edited. This means that if you find a mistake, or something doesn't make sense, this is why. Please disregard these mistakes; I'll come back and fix them later! Thanks!

 **Chapter Eleven: Pseuda**

"You've gotta be kidding me," Cascavel muttered. Her eyes scanned over the dragons before her with dismay.

That was exactly it: dragons, not dragon.

Not only had the hostile female SandWing somehow gathered a few friends, but the new SandWing had too. His eyes glinted malevolently as he watched Cascavel's reaction.

"No, we're not," he hissed. "This is just what a SkyWing like you deserves." He rattled his tail menacingly before stepping away from Cascavel and turning to the thin warthog stealer that Cascavel had originally gone after.

"Pseuda, you okay?"

The SandWing hissed.

"That SkyWing can't fight," she spat. "I'm better than okay."

Wait, wait, wait. Is she serious? "Firstly, I have a name: Cascavel, not SkyWing. Secondly..." She narrowed her eyes and let the flames brew within her. A bright orange light emanated from her throat as she opened her jaw, hissing her last words. "Are you sure I can't fight?"

Before she even had a chance to respond, Cascavel had blasted as much fire as she could in her opponent's face. Not a second later, she flung herself into the sky and flew as fast as she could. Her wings pounded furiously as she sped through the air.

"GO AFTER HER!" Pseuda screeched. Her shrieks of agony echoed off of the walls of any nearby mountains, magnifying her roars enormously.

Cascavel didn't need to see her to know that she had hit her right in the face... and that the SandWing was most likely blind at this point.

I'm a loyal guard. I had to hurt her. She hated me, anyway. The same would have become of me. Cascavel's talons clenched as she flew.She shook the thoughts out of her head angrily. As a guard, she'd injured many dragons before; and anyway, that was all part of her job, wasn't it? So she focused on flying instead of Pseuda.

General Merlot will kill me, she thought. After all, she'd left abruptly, only leaving a note. Now she was going to return without even having caught the killer… how would that look to Merlot?

"Cascavel."

The SkyWing tensed, wondering if the SandWings had caught up to her, before realizing that she recognized the voice.

"Sangria?" she whispered, half to herself.

She scanned the skies and saw nothing but the distant forms of the desert dragons flapping their wings desperately in hopes of out-flying her. Had she just imagined the voice?

Suddenly a dragon burst from the forest below and grabbed Cascavel, dragging her under the trees' leaves.

"What in the-" she began as she tore herself away, infuriated.

"SHH!" the other dragon hissed. Her dark red scales made Cascavel sigh in relief.

"It was you! But-"

"If you were asking about what I just did, well: your scales are bright red, so I had to get you under the trees quick enough that they wouldn't be able to pinpoint exactly where you disappeared. If that makes sense."

"Yeah, it does," Cascavel agreed. She shifted on her talons, still wanting to know more answers.

"Sangria, it hasn't been a week yet. Why are you here already?"

The other SkyWing blanched.

"I, uh…" she started, looking around as if something in the forest would have the answer she needed.

"Erm…"

"I'm waiting…" Cascavel teased, trying to lighten the mood. She could tell that Sangria really did not want to talk about this. Why, though… that, she had no idea.

"Fine! I got 'placed in suspension' because I did something stupid."

'Placed in suspension'? What does that even mean?

"Okaaaayyy..."

Sangria snorted frustratedly and turned to Cascavel.

"Basically, Merlot was really getting on my nerves, so I picked a fight with her, and she said I couldn't perform my normal duties or have any privileges for about a moon," the dragoness burst out. Cascavel thought the whole situation was rather humorous, and was about to let her laughter bubble out when a roar sounded overhead.

"Meanwhile, what have you been up to, Cascavel?" Sangria muttered.

"Um. Well, I came across a SandWing thief. We got in a fight. And apparently SandWings have more friends than I realized."

"Ah," was Sangria's only response.

The sound of slowing wingbeats broke the silence. Sangria lowered her voice.

"What were you planning to do about all this, Cascavel?! I thought coming earlier would keep you out of trouble; I guess not!" She covered her head and Cascavel's with her huge red wings to muffle their speech.

"I was gonna tell Merlot! But now you're here, couldn't you? Even through all of this, we can't let all of these SandWings just live on SkyWing land and steal SkyWing prey. The palace has to be informed!"

Sangria nodded grimly.

"Alright, then." She flexed her talons slowly, then stretched her wings. "Good thing I did all those wing workouts the other day… but I'm still a SkyWing, so nothing to be too worried about." She grinned at Cascavel, and before the orange-red dragoness could process what she'd said, Sangria had launched herself upward.

She rocketed from the trees with a resounding bellow. Cascavel looked up, and could see her spiraling into the air, and then speeding away as the SandWings raced after her. Either they didn't realize that she wasn't Cascavel, or they didn't care.

Well, Cascavel thought. I guess it's back to waiting for the killer.

* * *

Sangria's talons skidded on the stone floor of the palace as she arrived. She galloped upstairs as fast as she could, hoping to reach the throne room before the SandWings found a way in. They'd stopped chasing her after she'd gotten close enough, but she suspected they wanted revenge for what Cascavel had done to one of them - Sangria had seen the gory aftermath - and they also seemed to be involved in something… bigger. That's the only way Sangria could describe it. Most dragons wouldn't follow a random guard almost all the way to the palace for revenge, would they?

"Your Majesty!" Sangria said breathlessly, coming to a sudden halt as she stepped into Queen Scarlet's throne room. The glittering golden room hung in an eerie silence as the dragons in it took in Sangria.

"Yessss?" Queen Scarlet hissed, her face showing that she was clearly very irritated.

"Thieving… SandWings… They've followed me here! At least ten have gathered, maybe more soon!"

The queen shot up on her throne.

"You don't say," she growled.

Sangria nodded. Scarlet dismissed whoever she'd been talking to and stalked over to the guard.

"How thrilling," she said. "I've been needing a reason to tear apart more SandWings lately… You!" Scarlet yelled at another guard standing beside the door. "Gather a hunting party. You…"

She turned to Sangria.

"Lead me to them."

 ***hides in corner* Sorry about the lack of updating... heheheh... Anyway.**

 **ImpossibleNightmare:** That's fine, I understand if you were busy or something. But thank you! THANK YOU! And for your other review, I think that's a good point. Quality _is_ better than speed!

 **Nism:** Thank you! Hmm, I'm not entirely sure who you're talking about. I think there's two scenarios you could be referring to: when Albatross made the Summer Palace, or when he destroyed the Island Palace (in Darkstalker: Legends). But that would be fun, thanks for suggesting it!

 **InsertNameHere:** For the cover, I used someone else's image for the cover, but added my own filters using an image editor and added text as well. It wasn't, it's totally fine!

 **Oh, by the way, Pseuda isn't a real word. There's a scorpion called a pseudo scorpion, but I thought that wouldn't really fit as a female name, so I tweaked it a bit. :P**

 **Thanks for reading, guys! Thanks also for getting this story past 1,000 VIEWS! YAY!**


	13. Diamondback

**Chapter Twelve: Diamondback**

To say that Cascavel was terrified would be an understatement.

She'd assumed that all of the SandWings following her had gone, but she was wrong. One had stayed behind, and that one dragon was coming for her.

Wingbeats sounded overhead, obviously those of a single predatory SandWing. Cascavel's heart leapt into her throat, and she pressed herself further into the ground. She wasn't quite sure _why_ she was so terrified - this was _one_ dragon. She was a guard and a trained fighter; why was she _scared?_ But there was no logical explanation for her behavior. There was just a certain instinct embedded deep in her core that made the SkyWing's pulse quicken.

 _Please don't find me… Oh, three moons…_

"Get out of there," a voice hissed.

Cascavel raised her head, her breath catching in her throat, to find a large male SandWing hovering over her. He narrowed his eyes, which were as dark as obsidian.

"Come on, SkyWing, pay for what you did to Pseuda."

"Me? You _must_ be forgetting the fact that she _trespassed on SkyWing land -_ as did you," Cascavel snarled despite herself. Before she could decide not to, she'd launched herself into the air and was attacking the SandWing.

He pushed her away disdainfully, as if she were a dirty rat he didn't want to stain his talons. The thought enraged her.

"Oh, please," he snapped. "Stop making a fool of yourself."

Cascavel blasted a wave of flame at the male, and he ducked, yelping as the heat almost burned his golden scales.

"'A fool of myself,'" she said with satisfaction. "You can say that again."

He looked up at her with blazing hatred.

"There are things going on that you don't understand," he hissed furiously. "You don't know what you're messing with."

"I know perfectly well what I'm messing with: a puny SandWing that thinks he's all that." Confidence that she'd never known she'd had coursed through her veins.

The SandWing roared, lashing out with a front talon. Cascavel dodged and flipped him in the air, until she was facing his back. She swiftly pinned his wings and held them there, despite his struggling.

She had no idea where this had come from, but she had an idea. She'd been afraid of this dragon until she realized that she was the only one who could stop him at the moment, and she would do just that.

"Now, why don't you tell me what's going on," she whispered through her heavy breathing. The SandWing was much heavier than she'd been prepared for.

"Not here," he snarled. "Your SkyWing friends will find me."

"Why should I stop the guards Sangria sends?" she snapped. "They'll be helping to put you in the _arena."_

He shivered at those last words.

"They won't let you talk to me alone, but that's the only way I'll reveal anything," he retorted. Cascavel growled, making up her mind.

She tucked her wings in and dove.

The SandWing yelped and hissed as she carried him downwards, but she knew she had control. The sky was the one thing - the _one_ thing - that she'd _ever_ been in control of. The wind was hers, streaking past her and whistling through her scales. She felt as if she _commanded_ it.

Cascavel suddenly pulled the SandWing into a cave on the edge of a nearby cliff, her claws digging into his scales. He backed away into the corner of the cave once she released him, his tail raised.

It suddenly occurred to Cascavel that he hadn't tried to hurt her with that poisonous barb before now.

"You don't want to kill me," she said, her voice tinged with awe. She could tell that the only reason he was threatening her with his tail _now_ was out of habit. "Why?"

"You're important," he finally said. His dark eyes glimmered in the dark of the cave.

 _Important? Me? You've got the wrong dragon,_ she wanted to say, but she held back her comments.

"Alright. Anyway," she said, shrugging. "What are you doing on SkyWing territory?"

The SandWing tensed.

"That's classified."

"Oh, and is your trespassing 'classified' as well? And aren't you supposed to be telling me the truth?" She jabbed him with one sharp claw, and he winced.

"General Diamondback is… our leader. She's not on the side of the war that most SandWings are." He looked at his talons uncomfortably. "She may be allying with… some others."

Cascavel snarled.

"How does _that_ help me?"

The SandWing's glittering eyes filled with a different emotion: fear.

"Listen," he began. "I know we trespassed. And I know my fellow SandWings fought with you, and I sort of did too, and I know you have no reason to let me live. But please understand that we'll all be killed if I say anything else. This isn't how I wanted to live my life, I promise. But it is my life for now, so… please don't make me say anything else."

Cascavel growled.

"You think begging will help?"

He flinched, looking away.

"I can-"

"Help me find Diamondback!" she exclaimed suddenly. She knew that this 'Diamondback' was directly related to the SandWings' trespass, which she was certain was related to her almost-killer, which she was certain was related to Rosewood, who was related to her mother or Scarlet or something.

Basically, there were a lot of things that she needed to figure out.

"Are you sure you want to-"

"You'll lead me to them! Then I'll force some answers out of - him? her? - and finally get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile, you'll enjoy my company." Cascavel smirked with satisfaction.

"And you won't get away, because I'm important, so every time you do something wrong, I'll fight you, and you won't fight back, and then it'll be okay. You got it?"

He grinned nervously.

"Have you ever considered seeking mental help?" he inquired with a shaky voice.

Cascavel slapped him with her wing.

"Shut up."

"I'm sorry-"

"Are you?"

"Not really."

She slapped him again.

"Ow!"

"You deserved it."

"I did not."

"Don't make me-"

"Okay! Okay!" The SandWing put up his front talons in submission.

"Well," Cascavel said, grinning and straightening her wings. "This will go absolutely brilliantly."

 **Thanks so much for reading, everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long... *cough cough* a couple months *cough cough* :( I don't think there are any reviews for last chapter, so that's it! Although I'd like to thank those who have followed/favorited this story. THANK YOU!**

 **I'm hoping to keep updates more regular, so stay tuned! :) Love you guys!**


	14. Flight

**Chapter Thirteen: Flight**

Sangria had known from the start exactly what she was getting into, but it only just now occurred to her that she may have been in over her head.

She flew now with a whole battalion of SkyWIngs behind her - which was not what she would have considered a _hunting_ party, but which she accepted nonetheless. Despite the feelings of power and pride that arose within her, as she had always aspired to be a general in the SandWing War, she couldn't help but feel as if she was in the wrong place. Queen Scarlet flew right beside her, as if she _would_ have led the dragons if she'd actually known where to go.

Sangria ignored this, instead keeping her eyes narrowed and fixed straight ahead.

She wove around the palace, searching for a spot the SandWings could have hidden, but with all of the dragons behind her, stealth was not included in this search. She gave up after a few moments more, turning to Scarlet and shaking her head. The Queen smiled.

"Sardonyx! Bloodstone!" she called to two dragons Sangria knew were experienced trackers. "FIND THOSE SANDWINGS!"

They nodded and spiraled down towards the mountains, their red and orange scales flashing in the light. Sangria watched them and hoped that they were searching the right place; that the SandWings were _outside_ of the palace, not _inside._

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she wheeled around in the air and began making her way to the forest nearby. She hoped that Cascavel would be there to give her _some_ sort of lead on the whole situation. She didn't know if she could stand to fail.

Soon enough she spotted a tear in the thick canopy of trees, where she'd dragged Cascavel to escape the SandWings. She shot forward and hovered over the area, then dropped down to the forest floor with a resonating _thump._

"Cascavel?" she whispered, hoping her friend would hear her.

Dread twisted in her stomach.

She inhaled deeply, finding that the scent of a SandWing was strong here. Had Cascavel been captured? Sangria couldn't think of any other option, and so, as she flew up toward the waiting gaze of Queen Scarlet, she had to admit it.

"There must have been another SandWing apart from the others," she mumbled. "They took Cas- a guard," she added, sure that the queen wouldn't recognize the name of a simple guard. But something sparked in the regal dragoness's eyes, and she nodded.

"Go find them," she commanded. "And get to the bottom of this. Whoever is leading these scoundrels _clearly_ has never faced my wrath." And with that, the SkyWing Queen turned and began her flight back to the palace, her wingbeats slow and threatening.

Sangria suppressed a shudder.

"Three of you, come with me!" she barked at the rest of the hunting party. They quickly determined who would follow and who would not, and just as Sangria felt it must have been years of decisions, several dragons turned and headed back toward the mountains. The others gave Sangria a challenging look, as if they were sure she didn't know what she was doing.

"Hurry up," she growled, "we're gonna need to fly as fast as we can."

She whirled around, flexed her wings, and hoped that they wouldn't give out before she'd reached her destination. Sangria shot a burst of flame out of her jaws before streaking forward, her wings moving vigorously. She heard the dragons behind her yelp in surprise to see her flying so determinedly, and before long they too were following her.

As Sangria flew, she realized that she had no idea what was going on, but it was endangering Cascavel and possibly all SkyWings, so she was going to find out.

* * *

Diamondback was angry.

The huge SandWing paced furiously, her three sets of long, sharp black claws scraping against the stone floor. Every now and then a burst of flame erupted from her nostrils, or her venomous tail flicked dangerously wildly.

Pseuda was injured, blind and lost. She'd only returned to Diamondback's stronghold that morning, and it was a wonder that she'd been found by one of her SandWings as she blindly staggered across the terrain. Diamondback's other dragons were nowhere to be seen, presumably hiding as SkyWings searched for them.

Diamondback sincerely hoped Scarlet would order them to stop soon.

If she didn't, the burly commander was at risk of losing several of her best dragons, and she knew she couldn't afford that.

Sha snarled and snorted another blast of flame just as a dragon's head appeared in the doorway.

"Diamondback!" they hissed. "Calabar is back… with a SkyWing."

The SandWing bared her teeth.

"Show me to them," she snarled.

The dragon nodded and hurried her along the stone walls of the stronghold, which was located at the base of a cliff. As they arrived outside, she had to blink several times in order for her eyes to adjust to the daylight.

Standing before her were two dragons: her SandWing Calabar, looking his usual outraged but charming self, and a SkyWing with a very determined face and flared wings.

"Calabar," she said, "SkyWing."

Her eyes caught on the way that Calabar stood next to the SkyWing, not in front of her, as he would if she were his prisoner. She looked too triumphant for that, too.

"This is the important one," he finally spoke up. "But she decided to use me to her advantage. I can't harm her on your orders, so…" He sighed heavily and gestured toward the grin that lit up the SkyWing's face.

"General Diamondback!" she bellowed as if they were old friends. "I've come to ask you WHAT IN THE THREE MOONS IS GOING ON?!"

Diamondback raised her tail slowly over her back.

"Quiet now, SkyWIng," she hissed. The SkyWing's mocking grin vanished, replaced by a wrathful scowl.

"Tell me," she snarled, low and intimidating, "or-"

A dragon's roar echoed over the mountains, and Diamondback looked over the cliff to see a wing of four dragons soaring towards them. She growled at the thought that they had flown so fast because of their naturally larger wings.

"You SandWings have trespassed on our territory and taken one of our tribe," a dark red dragon at the head of the wing shouted. "You have some explaining to do."

 **Well. That was pretty lame.**

 **I'm trying to write this story but I keep getting stuck and stuff, so... I don't know. It's pretty bad quality at the moment so hopefully soon I'll edit it, or maybe that'll happen when it's finished.**

 **Any reviews: thank you for reviewing.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, however awful and hasty it was. Also, I didn't go over it before posting it here because I was too tired. Sorry.**


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